Ratchet-wrench.



PATENTED AUG. 4, 1903.

A. R. MGLEAN. RATCHET WRENCH. APPLICATION rum) mm. 4. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

Wifqcsse;

UNITED STATES Patented August 4, 1903.

ANDREW R. MOLEAN, OF RUSSELLVILLE, KENTUCKY.

RATCHET-WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 735,134, dated August4, 1903.

Application filed February 4, 1903. Serial No. 11,906. (N0 model.)

To all whmn it nutg concern:

Be it known that 1, ANDREW R. MOLEAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Russellville, in the county of Logan and State of Kentucky,have invented a new and useful Ratchet-Trench, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to ratchet-wrenches, and has for its object toprovide an improved device of this character, and is especially designedto facilitate the application and removal of the wrench.

It is furthermore designed to provide means for conveniently adjustingthe wrench-head, so that the device may be applied to a nut from theside thereof, and also to provide for throwing the adjusting means outof engagement with the Wrench-head, so that the former may not interferewith the usual operation of the wrench.

Another object resides in the provision of means whereby the wrench-headmay be turned independently of the handle, so as to quickly remove aloose nut and also to set a nut without operating the entire wrench, thelatter operation being reserved to tighten the nut.

WVith these and other objects in view the present invention consists inthe combina tion and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter morefully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularlypointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes inthe form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within thescope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing anyof the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a ratchet-wrenchconstructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is acentral longitudinal sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is an inverteddetail plan view, the retaining face-plate being removed to illustratethe mounting of the wrench-head. Fig. 4.is a detail perspective View ofthe operating means for adjusting the wrench-head. Fig. 5 is a detailperspective View of the reducer for application to the wrench-head andto accommodate the latter to nuts of different sizes. Fig. 6 is a detailsectional view showing the actuating device in operative relation to theshaft for adjusting the wrench-head. Fig. 7 is a view-illustrating amodified form of means for operating the rotary head.

Corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings aredesignated by like characters of reference.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates the handle of thewrench, which may be of any desired size and shape and is provided witha laterally-enlarged head 2, having a central circular opening Stand anentrance-opening 4, which is located at the outer end of the head,alined longitudinally with the handle and communicating with thecircular opening. As best indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, itwill be seen that the circular opening 3 is reduced in diameter adjacentto the upper side of the wrench, so as to form an inwardly-directedmarginal flange 5, which terminates at opposite sides of theentrance-openings so as not to obstruct the latter.

Mounted to turn within the opening 3 is the wrench-head 6, which iscircular in shape and provided with an external-toothed flange 7 locatedintermediate of the opposite faces of the wrench-head and designed to beheld in place by the inwardly-directed flange 5 at the upper side of thecircular opening. This wrench-head is provided with a concentric angularopening 8, which is in thenature of a slot opening outwardly through theperipheral edge of the head, so as to communicate with theentrance-opening 4, whereby the wrench may be applied laterally to anut.

To support the wrench-head Within the circular opening 3, there has beenprovided a face-plate 9, which is seated within a suitable recess 10,formed in the under side of the head 2 and secured therein by means ofsuitable fastenings. As indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, thisface-plate is provided with a circular opening 11 to receive the lowerside of the wrench-head, whereby the inner edge of the plate overlapsthe toothed flange 7, so as to hold the wrench-head in place. Byreference to Fig. 1 of the drawings it will be seen that the outer edgeof the face-plate is provided with a slot 12, which communicates withthe circular opening 11 and is alined with the entrance-opening 4, sothat the latter is not obstructed by the plate.

Formed in the walls of the opening 3 is a plurality of notches orrecesses 13, in which are mounted suitable spring-actuated pawls 14-,which engage the toothed periphery-of the wrench-head, so as to form aratchet mechanism therefor. It is desirable to employ at least threesuch pawls, so that when one of the latter is received between oppositesides of the slot or opening 8 in the wrench-head, and thereby out ofengagement with the teeth of the latter, the other pawls will still bein engagement with the head, and thereby insure a positive turning ofthe latter.

In order that .the wrench-head may be applicable to nuts of difierentsizes, it is designed to employ a plurality of reducers of varioussizes, one of which is designated by the numeral 15 and is ofsubstantially U shape. It will be understood that the opening or slot 8in the wrench-head may be of any preferred shape, and therefore thereducers have a similar shape, so as to fit snugly within such opening,and thereby reduce the size thereof.

In order that the wrench head, may be turned independently of thehandle, the upper face of the head has been provided with a marginalseries of beveled gear-teeth 16, and in mesh with these teeth is apinion 17, which is carried by a stem or shaft 18, mounted to turnaxially upon the handle. This shaft or stem is preferably mounted withina longitudinal groove 19, formed in the upper side of the handle, and isheld in such groove by means of suitable straps 20, extendingtransversely across the outer side of the shaft and the groove.Thisshaftextendssubstantially the entire length of the handle, and itsouter end is provided with an enlarged angular head 21, which isreceived within a terminal enlargement 22 of the groove 19. To operatethis shaft, there is provided a crank 23, which has a hollow cylindricalsleeve 24 integral with the crank, so as to form a journal therefor, andis mounted to turn within the socket formed by the enlarged portion ofthe groove 19. At the inner end of the bearing-sleeve and opposite thecrank-handle 23 there is provided an axially-disposed cuff 25, having anangular bore 26, which communicates with the interior of the hollowbearing 24 and is also designed to embrace the angular head 21 at theadjacent end of the shaft 18, so that the latter may be turned byoperating the crank-handle 23.

It will be understood that the sleeve 25 and the hollow bearing 24 aredesigned to telescopically receive the adjacent end of the shaft 18, sothat the crank may be moved 1on gitudinally outward, so as to engage thecuff with the angular end of the shaft when it is desired to operate thelatter, and to prevent rotation of the crank when the wrench is beingoperated said crank is pushed longitudinally inward, so as to receivethe angular end of the shaft within the interior of the enlargedcylindrical journal 24, whereby the crank and the shaft aredisconnected, and the latter may turn independently of the former, so asnot to interfere with the usual operation of the wrench.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the wrench-head 6 may bereadily turned by operation of the crank-handle 23 to set or remove aloose not without operating the entire wrench. Moreover, the wrench-head may be conveniently adjusted so as to aline the open end of theslot thereof with the entrance-opening4 when it is necessary to applythe wrench laterally to a nut.

It is preferable to have the gear-teeth 16 in tegral with thewrench-head 6 and to form the slot or opening 8 but part way through thethickness of the head, so that the upper side 26 may form a stop forengagement with the outer face of a nut, so as to insure a positive andeffective engagement of the wrench-head with the nut. As the retainingface-plate 9 is removably secured to the .handle, the wrench-head 6 maybe readily replaced without removing the shaft 18 and the operatingparts thereof, and the latter may be removed without interfering withthe operation of the Wrench-head.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7 the rotary head 6 is operated bymeans of a short rod 27 formed at one end to engage the teeth 7 on thehead and provided at its other end with an integral finger projectingupward through a slot 28, formed in the body of the wrench and carryinga knob or the like 29, adapted to be grasped by the operator toreciprocate the rod. By this means the head may be rotated to set orremove a loose nut. This rod constitutes a substitute for the shaft 18,operated by the crank 23 and having the pinion 17 engaging teeth 16 onthe head, as in the preferred form of the device; 0therwise theconstruction and operation are the same as that heretofore described.

Having thus described the invention, I claim 1. A ratchetwrench,comprising a handle, a ratchet-wrench head carried thereby, and having acircular series of gear-teeth, a pinion meshing with the gear-teeth, ashaft supporting the pinion and mounted upon the handle, and anactuating-crank telescopically engaging the shaft for operating thelatter to rotate the head independently of the movement of the handle.

2. A ratchet-wrench, comprisinga handle, a ratchet-wrench head carriedthereby, and having a circular series of gear-teeth, a pinion in meshwith the teeth, a shaft. supporting the pinion and mounted upon thehandle, and also having an angular portion, and an actuating-cranktelescopically mounted upon the shaft, and provided with an angularsocket for engagement with the angular portion of the shaft.

3. A ratchet-wrench, comprising a handle, a ratchet-wrench head carriedthereby, and provided with a circular series of gear-teeth,

a pinion in mesh with the teeth, a shaft sup porting the pinion andprovided with an angnlar portion, and an actuating-crank slidablymounted upon the shaft, and provided with a hollow portion to looselyreceive the angular portion of the shaft, and also an angular socket tofit said angular portion of the shaft.

4:. A ratchet-wrench, comprising a handle, a ratchet-wrench head carriedthereby, and provided with a circular series of gear-teeth, a pinion inmesh with the teeth, a shaft supporting the pinion, and provided with anangular head, and an actuating-crank, having a hollow cylindricaljournal mounted in a socket in the handle, telescopically receiving theshaft, and loosely receiving the angular head thereof, and anaxially-disposed cuff carried by the journal, located opposite thecrank, and having an angular bore to fit the angular head of the shaft.

5. In a ratchet-wrench, the combination with a handle, having a circularopening, provided with an inwardlydirected marginal flange, of circularrotary wrench-head mounted within the circular opening, and providedwith an outwardly-directed marginahtoothed flange fitting against theflange of the circular opening, and also provided upon one face with acircular series of gear-teeth, a removable face-plate carried by thehandle and fitting against one face of the toothed flange of thewrench-head, ratchet-pawls carried by the handle and in engagement Withthe toothed flange, a pinion in engagement with the gear-teeth, a shaftsupporting the pinion and mounted to turn upon the handle, and a crankfor the shaft.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW R. MCLEAN.

Witnesses:

JAS. B. HINES, TOM RHEA.

